Welshman David Park revelled in the rain in Spain to post a six-under-par 66 on the opening day of the OKI Telepizza Challenge at Golf del Guadiana at Badajoz.

It leaves him sharing the lead with Sweden's Mattias Eliasson and Sebastian de Miguel of Spain on a day when heavy rain washed away many of their rivals.

Park, the former Walker Cup man from Hereford, carded six birdies, three in each half, and felt that the rain helped his cause. "It helped me not to hit the ball too far," he said.

If there was a surprised man it was De Miguel. He spent practise day struggling to find his game on the range and was amazed that he should shoot so low.

"I had no feeling in my game yesterday, I was not hitting the ball well and I went on to the course this morning very rigid. But after my first birdie at the fifth everything fell into place," he said.

Eliasson, 23, felt his play was solid all round and that was reflected in his seven birdies.

The trio are a stroke ahead of another Swede, Ola Eliasson, and Greig Hutcheon, the Kent-based Scot, who had an eagle and four birdies in his 67.

Among those on 70 is Ryder Cup Spaniard Ignacio Garrido, who is opting to play his domestic tour instead of the Madeira Island Open. "I'm quite happy," he said. "I took three towels with me and they all finished soaked while I couldn't use my yardage book for the later holes as it was also saturated."